
Lefstein leaves legacy in classroom and public defense
In the middle of what likely was chaos on a spring day in 1971, Norman Lefstein sat down and calmly wrote a petition for habeas corpus.
In the middle of what likely was chaos on a spring day in 1971, Norman Lefstein sat down and calmly wrote a petition for habeas corpus.
Norman Lefstein, dean emeritus of Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law and renowned legal scholar in the fields of criminal justice, indigent defense and professional responsibility, died Thursday. He was 82.
Ever since the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law began accepting GRE scores in lieu of the LSAT in 2016, the list of law schools that consider applicants who submit only Graduate Record Exam results is growing. So are the other innovative ways law schools in Indiana and elsewhere are measuring the likely success of potential students.
As classes begin for the 2018-2019 academic year, all Indiana law schools are marking historical milestones.
Two Indiana Court of Appeals judges are being recognized this month by members of the Indiana legal community.
Three weeks into the six-week long Indiana Conference for Legal Education Opportunity program, ICLEO fellow Jasmine Lovelace felt like she was already immersed in law school, especially with her 100-plus-page reading assignments. The soon-to-be Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law student was one of 23 applicants from across the state selected to participate in the 2019 ICLEO summer preparatory institute, hosted at Indiana University Maurer School of Law in Bloomington.
Even while the total number of entry-level law firm jobs is still below the pre-recession peak, the employment stats for the 2018 law school graduates improved, primarily because the smaller size of last year’s class meant fewer new lawyers were looking for work.
A mentally disabled man serving a 55-year prison sentence for an Elkhart murder 17 years ago that he maintains he did not commit is reviving his efforts for post-conviction relief, presenting new evidence in a petition he claims exonerates him.
During my initial campus visits to Indiana law schools, I encountered several students who manifested the stressors of their academic environment in a number of ways. Some had turned to alcohol and other drugs, sometimes resulting in serious consequences such as DUI arrests and academic probation. Others demonstrated noticeable signs and symptoms of mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression.
Indiana Rep. Susan Brooks, a Republican who has represented Indiana’s 5th District since 2013, announced Friday morning that she will not run for a fifth term in Congress.
The science of DNA testing is evolving, and that’s a good thing for wrongful conviction reform advocates like Fran Watson. She talked about the changes Friday before a session of the Indiana State Bar Association Solo/Small Firm Conference in French Lick.
Law schools must now have 75 percent of their graduates pass the bar exam within two years of completing their J.D. degrees after a twice-defeated accreditation standard was approved Friday by the American Bar Association. Opponents worry the change will hurt efforts to diversify the legal profession.
A second Indiana law school has partnered with the Indiana Supreme Court to expose more students to the practice of law in less urban communities through a rural judicial clerkship program. Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law announced its collaboration with the state’s highest court, introducing five students who will take part in the “Supporting Rural Justice Initiative.”
Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law students have been meeting monthly with participants in a re-entry program for much of the school year, mentoring them and helping them overcome barriers in whatever they need to succeed.
More than 80 percent of the 2018 graduates from Indiana University Maurer School of Law and Notre Dame Law School were employed in a full-time, long-term bar passage required or J.D. advantage jobs roughly 10 months after finishing their studies, according to statistics from the American Bar Association.
Four graduating Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law students have been accepted into the nation’s legal branch of the military – an unprecedented number for the Indianapolis law school. The Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps consists of highly selective law programs in every branch of the United States armed forces, including the U.S. Army, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Marine Corps.
One of the two Clark County judges wounded in an Indianapolis shooting early Wednesday morning is improving after initially being in critical condition. Meanwhile, action is being taken to temporarily fill the now empty bench seats of the two injured judges. The Indiana Supreme Court said Thursday that Clark Circuit Judge Bradley Jacobs underwent surgery Thursday morning and is now in serious but stable condition.
As commencement nears for Hoosier students across the state, four speakers are preparing to address the law school classes of 2019.
Courtship season is in full bloom, but forget loving and cherishing — these “marriages” are about test scores, rankings and scholarships. Law schools are proposing their best offers while applicants are trying to decide if the match is meant to be or if they may be able to do better.
The 2016 graduates from two Indiana law schools have exceeded the national two-year bar passage rate of 88.57 percent, according to recently released data from the American Bar Association.